Two Weeks on Salt Water - End of Another Great Vacation

Taking a break at East Matunuck Beach

Our annual summer vacation at the beach ended today, so packing up to go home trumped paddling this morning. With family, work and weather I missed a few days of paddling, but that’s OK. I was still able to get out to most of my favorites including Potter Pond, the Harbor of Refuge, Jamestown Harbor, the Narrow River and Wickford. I missed some old favorites like Dutch Harbor and Fort Wetherill. Of course, I spent a lot of time paddling on Point Judith Pond including another fun trip with RICKA.

Around Ram Island - July 31 2025

Denny and Ann’s grandnephew Zach is visiting from the UK and I offered to take him out kayaking. Denny and Zach used the kayaks from the cottage. The wind was gusting, but we still spent an hour paddling around Ram Island.  

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Wickford - July 31, 2025

The Castle

My first choice today was to paddle at Dutch Harbor, but it was fogged in. Instead, I headed over to Wickford to paddle Wickford Harbor. 

Wickford was established in the early 17th century when Roger Williams purchased land from the Narragansett Indians and established a trading post. In 1637, Williams sold the land to Richard Smith who constructed a large fortified house on the site, giving the house its nickname the “Castle”. That house was burned during King Philip's War, and the structure that can be seen from the put-in today was built in 1678.

Wickford Shipyard

Wickford grew to become a major port and shipbuilding center, and today contains a large collection of 17th and 18th century homes. It is a picturesque village whose streets are lined with shops and restaurants, and whose harbor is filled with sailboats and yachts.

I paddled out from Wilson Park into Mill Cove, then around Cornelius Island into Fishing Cove, and then out to the breakwater. From there I paddled around the outer harbor before returning to Wilson Park. 

Breakwater at Wickford Harbor

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Harbor of Refuge - July 30, 2025

Point Judith Light

I need to have just the right conditions to paddle around the breakwater at the Harbor of Refuge, and this morning I did - clear skies, calm winds, low tide at 6:00 a.m. and swells of just 1-foot. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Even after construction of the Point Judith Light (c. 1810/1857) conditions remained treacherous at the tip of Point Judith and a Federal project was initiated to construct over 3-miles of jetties to provide a secure breakwater refuge for shipping. Work began in 1890 with construction of the east (3,640 feet) and west (2,240 feet) jetties, and was completed in 1910 with construction the V-shaped center jetty (6,970 feet). A 1,500-foot opening was left for the east passage, and a 1,200-foot opening was left for the west passage.

Holes at the "V" in the center jetty

While the jetties were originally constructed to provide a refuge for ships traveling between Boston and New York during bad weather, they also protected the newly constructed Port of Galilee. In 1910, the Town of South Kingstown and the State of Rhode Island dredged the current Breachway and stabilized it with stone jetties. Then, in the 1930's, the State of Rhode Island dredged an anchorage basin just inside the Breachway and built wharves to create a port for large, ocean-going fishing vessels. This allowed the Galilee to become one of the largest fishing ports on the east coast

I lugged my boat and gear across the beach at Camp Cronin and launched at around 6:30 a.m. I was amazed how much damage was done by last year’s winter storms. The navigation tower at the east end of the center jetty was completely destroyed. Huge boulders were pushed aside leaving large gaps in the seawall, even at low tide. It's hard to imagine that water can move those huge rocks. I paddled by the cormorants and other shore birds resting on the seawall out to the tip of the "V" in the center jetty before heading back.

East end of the center jetty before and after the winter storms of 2024

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Jamestown Harbor - July 8, 2025

Newport Bridge in the fog

It was foggy this morning, so I decided to head over to Jamestown to paddle around Jamestown Harbor and get some pictures of the Newport Bridge. I put in at the East Ferry Boat Ramp and headed out into the harbor.

The Newport Bridge was completed in 1969 and is the longest suspension bridge in New England. It spans the East Passage of Narragansett Bay from Jamestown to Newport. The main span is over 1,600 feet long, and the road deck is more 200 feet above the water. The towers themselves are over 400 feet tall.

Clingstone or the "House on the Rock"

I followed the boat moorings down to the Dumplings - a grouping of rocks just off Bull Point. The most prominent of the Dumplings is Clingstone or the "House on the Rock". This massive post and beam home was built in 1905 and has been recently restored.

It turned out to be a nice morning with nice calm conditions. The fog burned off to hazy sunshine by the time I finished.

Newport Bridge from the Dumplings

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Port of Galilee - July 27, 2025

The kids are visiting this weekend, so I decided to stay around the cottage and paddle down to Galilee. I paddled down the east side of Great Island into Bluff Hill Cove and then into the Port of Galilee.

The Port of Galilee was created in 1935 when a harbor was dredged and a dock constructed at the mouth of Point Judith Pond. Connected to the ocean by the Breachway and the Harbor of Refuge, both completed in 1910, Galilee eventually became the home port for much of Rhode Island's fishing fleet. I paddled past the fishing trawlers, lobster boats and charter boats before heading back. I forgot to bring my camera, but here is a picture from last year

Buoy in the Port of Galilee

Point Judith Pond with RICKA - July 26, 2025

Paddling by the osprey nest

This year my annual Point Judith Pond trip for RICKA coincided with the Blessing of the Fleet in Galilee. This is usually a flatwater trip, but since there was no sea kayak trip on the calendar, I posted in the sea kayak board as well.

Point Judith Pond, or the Great Salt Pond, is located along the border of Narragansett and South Kingstown, and is the second largest of the Rhode Island’s South County salt ponds. It is a shallow, four-mile long pond located behind the barrier beaches and sand dunes that form Point Judith. The pond is 20 miles around with many pretty islands and coves to explore.

Group picture form the cottage

We met in Marina Park at the hand-carried boat ramp next to the Point Judith Yacht Club at 10:00, and were on the water by 10:30. We had 7 boats – all kayaks, and a nice mix of flatwater and sea kayak paddlers. Winds were from the north, but switched to the east later in the day

We headed out into the Upper Pond from Marina Park, paddled through the Narrows and out into Point Judith Pond. We checked out the osprey nest at Billington Cove and explored the islands and coves in the upper Point Judith Pond before heading to down to Gardner Island where we crossed the boat channel.

View from the top of the Breachway

We paddled past Beach Island and across the top of Ram Island before paddling down the east side of Ram Island to Great Island. Michelle came out and snapped a few pictures before we headed to the east side of Great Island to Galilee.

It was a little after 12:00 when we paddled into Galilee. We stayed out the boat channel and paddled down to the last red buoys above the Breachway. With the tide going out, the current kept pulling us down into the Breachway. We saw the fire boat come through and then got shooed away. We headed up to Dog Beach for lunch.

Approaching Pine Tree Point

After lunch, we crossed the boat channel and paddled up the west side of Great Island. This area is shallow at low tide, but there was enough water that the boats could use this area to zip up and down the pond and avoid the speed restrictions in the boat channel. I was glad when we could cross over to Harbor Island to get out of the traffic.

Between the wind and the boat traffic there was a lot of choppy water as we paddled along Harbor Island. We rounded Pine Tree Point, paddled through the Narrows and back down the Upper Pond. It was another great day.

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Tony's Video

Marina Park from Rhode Island Blueways

Galilee Boat Ramp from Rhode Island Blueways

Narrow River - Pollack Avenue - July 24, 2025

Boats and docks along the Narrows

I was back on the Narrow River today to paddle the Narrows from Middlebridge Road to Bridgetown Road and the Lower and Upper Ponds.

The Narrow River, also known at the Pettaquamscutt River, is the tidal extension of the Mattatuxet River. It begins below the Carr Pond Dam at the Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and flows south for 6-miles forming the border between South Kingstown and Narragansett before entering Pettaquamscutt Cove and then flowing out into Narragansett Bay.

View up Lower Pond

There are five distinct sections of the Narrow River – the Upper Pond, the Lower Pond, the “Narrows” from Bridgetown Road to Middlebridge Road, the “Flats” at Pettaquamscutt Cove, and the “Narrows” where the river flows into Narragansett Bay at Cormorant Point.

I paddle the Flats and Narrows at Cormorant Point yesterday, so today I put in at the Narrow River Fishing Area off Pollock Avenue and paddled upstream into the “Narrows” between Bridgetown Road and Middlebridge Road. This section of the river is lined with boat docks and summer houses.

Above Bridgetown Road, I paddled through the Lower Pond, and into the Upper Pond. I saw racing shells on the Lower Pond and a family of river otters in the Upper Pond. The trip back was a bit of a slog – into the current and the wind, but it was still a nice trip.

Back down the Narrows

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Paddle Map - Upper Narrow River

Narrow River - Sprague Bridge - July 23, 2025

Rocks at Cormorant Point

I headed over to the Narrow River today to paddle around Pettaquamscutt Cove and down to the Narrows at Cormorant Point

I put in at the Sprague Bridge on Boston Neck Road at the John H Chafee National Wildlife Refuge. Established in 1973, the refuge includes over 300-acres of saltmarsh around Pettaquamscutt Cove that provides habitat for shore birds like egrets, herons, cormorants and osprey. Then I headed down to the beach at the Narrows. It was high tide, so it was easy to get out into the rocks at Cormorant Point.

View down to the Narrows

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Paddle Map - Lower Narrow River

Potter Pond - July 22, 2025

Lighthouse at Snug Harbor

It was a bright sunny morning so I decided to stay local and paddle over to Potter Pond.

Potter Pond is connected to Point Judith Pond by a tidal inlet that flows through Snug Harbor and the 182-acre Succotash Marsh. The barrier beach that forms East Matunuck State Beach creates the southern shore of the pond. The northern end is a wooded kettle pond. With the exception of the houses along Succotash Road to the east and Matunuck to the west, much of the land around Potter Pond is undeveloped.

Beach in Matunuck

I paddled down the west side of Great Island before crossing over to Snug Harbor and entering the inlet into Succotash Marsh. The morning was clear and I got a great view over to East Matunuck State Beach. After paddling under the bridge at Succotash Road, I played in the current in the channel where the inlet enters the pond.

Once in Potter Pond I headed west to the Ocean Avenue Waterfront Access in Matunuck. The paths were overgrown, but I made it up to the beach. When I returned to the inlet was able to paddle up with no difficulty – the current was gone. I paddled up the east side of Great Island through Bluff Hill Cove and Welcome Cove on the way back to the cottage.

Egret in Potter Pond

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Upper Point Judith Pond - July 21, 2025

Marina Park Boat Ramp

I slept late this morning, so I stayed close to the cottage and paddled around Upper Point Judith Pond. I will be leading a RICKA trip on Point Judith Pond on Saturday, so I wanted to check out the put-in at Marina Park. 

Unlike Rhode Island’s other large salt ponds (Ninigret, Green Hill, Quonochontaug and Winnapaug) that are coastal lagoons, Point Judith Pond is an estuary where the Saugatucket River empties to the sea. I paddled up past Ram Island and Harbor Island, through the Narrows into the Upper Pond, and into the Saugatucket River at Silver Spring Cove. Then I paddled back round the top of Point Judith Pond before crossing at Gardner, Beach and Jonathan Islands.

Selfie near Ram Island

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Around Great Island - July 20, 2025

Horseshoe Point

We have been renting a vacation house at Horseshoe Point on Point Judith Pond for the last 13-years. I always start off my paddling adventures with a trip around Great Island. This year it was a little cloudy and a little windy, but not too bad.  

Point Judith Pond, or the Great Salt Pond, is the second largest of Rhode Island’s South County salt ponds. Separated in the south behind sand dunes and barrier beaches, Point Judith Pond is connected to the ocean through the Breachway at Galilee.

View to Snug Harbor from Galilee

Great Island is one of three large islands on the pond - the other two are Harbor Island and Ram Island. Great Island is about 2-miles long and 1/2-mile wide, and full of summer cottages. I paddled down to Frank’s Neck before heading into Bluff Hill Cove and paddling under the bridge into Galilee.

The fishing village of Galilee was developed in 1935 when the State of Rhode Island dredged out a harbor suitable for commercial fishing vessels. I paddled down into the harbor to snap a few pictures of boats going through the Beachway 

The Breachway into the Harbor of Refuge

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